Interactive Advertising Bureau
30 September 2025

LEAF 2.0: Major Updates to IAB Europe’s Platform for Sustainable Digital Advertising

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IAB Europe is pleased to introduce a major update to our LEAF platform, further strengthening its ability to support stakeholders across the digital advertising ecosystem in estimating and reducing their environmental impact. This latest upgrade brings significant improvements to the platform’s usability, functionality, and alignment with the latest sustainability methodologies.

Since its launch in April 2025, LEAF has provided a centralised hub for advertisers, agencies, ad tech providers, and publishers to engage with practical tools and standards that enable more sustainable digital advertising practices. The enhancements delivered in this latest update build on that foundation, helping users better manage their campaigns, access emissions benchmarks, and streamline their creative optimisation workflows.

Key Updates in LEAF 2.0:
Improved Emissions Estimation and Benchmarking (OpenGHG)
  • A redesigned user interface and enhanced visualisation of emissions data
  • Easier and more efficient emissions estimation process
  • Ability to select the framework used for calculations, currently aligned with GMSF v1.2
  • Introduction of benchmarking across different locations, environments, buy types, and device types, based on GMSF v1.2 defaults
Refined Creative Compression Workflow (CreativeLi)
  • A new media library and job management system to simplify asset handling
  • Clearer instructions and an improved user experience for compressing ad creatives while maintaining quality
Enhanced Platform Management and Performance
  • Improved tools for organisation admins, making user and subscription management more straightforward
  • Updated authentication process and improved email notifications
  • Reduced latency and resolution of known bugs, delivering a smoother and more reliable experience
Digital ad emissions methodology now available on GitHub.

IAB Europe has also released documentation on the methodology that underpins estimating digital ad emissions in GMSF v1.2 on GitHub. The documentation outlines the data inputs, defaults, and calculations developed by the Methodology & Framework Working Group with input from the wider digital ad ecosystem and highlights the design principles and rationale behind it.

Enabling More Effective and Scalable Sustainability Action

These enhancements reflect IAB Europe’s ongoing commitment to supporting the digital advertising industry in embedding sustainability into operations. By improving performance and expanding functionality, LEAF 2.0 makes it easier for stakeholders to take concrete, data-driven steps toward reducing emissions and optimising campaign efficiency.

As with all components of the LEAF platform, the updates are grounded in the outputs of IAB Europe’s Sustainability Standards Committee, ensuring that the platform continues to evolve in line with the needs of the market and the latest guidance.

Upcoming Sustainability Training Courses

Environmental Sustainability in Digital Advertising

To support the industry’s continued education and upskilling, we will run a dedicated Sustainability Training Course from 13th to 17th October. The course will provide in-depth insights into emissions measurement, sustainable media planning, and how to use tools such as LEAF to drive environmental performance. 

Delivered in a U.S.-friendly time zone, it’s ideal for media buyers, ESG leads, and ad tech professionals looking to embed sustainable practices into their work.

Condensed Course on Environmental Sustainability in Digital Advertising

This focused, half‑day session on 27th November delivers a compact yet powerful overview of sustainability in digital advertising. Topics include key environmental frameworks, carbon emissions across the ad ecosystem, and practical strategies to reduce your campaign’s carbon footprint. It’s perfect for professionals of all levels seeking actionable insights in a time-efficient format.

How to Join LEAF

LEAF is designed to be accessible to the entire digital advertising ecosystem. IAB Europe members can enjoy free access, while National IAB and Federation members benefit from exclusive discounted rates. Non-members can also join with a standard fee.

Take the Next Step Toward Sustainable Advertising

Learn more about LEAF here, explore our FAQs, and start making a difference today.

Register for LEAF to join here!

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